By Request...

"Tell me what you gonna do?
Where you gonna go?
You’re running out of time"
--Choose, Santana

This morning marks the first time I will have blogged not solely on the basis of my own inspiration, but in response to the request of a friend (and new compatriot in blogging). Having appropriately addressed the draft needs of those lovely Lightning Bolts, I must now wax eloquent on the quarterback situation down south...
Based on Drew Brees' lousy 2003 campaign (2108 yds, 11 td, 15 int), General Manager A.J. Smith felt the need to upgrade the quarterback position on draft day, an assumption with which I vehemently disagreed at the time. My feeling was this: he had shown he could play the year before, when he a) had the full confidence of the coaching staff (started all 16 games), b) had a great running game (LT almost 1700 yds), c) a few decent targets (Curtis Conway, Tim Dwight, rookie Reche Caldwell, Stephen Alexander) and d) at least an average offensive line. The defense was good too (I suppose this could be point "e" in the outline), still led by Junior Seau, Rodney Harrison and Marcellus Wiley, so Brees and the offense didn't have to do everything by themselves. The Bolts finished 8-8, very respectable in the toughest division in football that year (Raiders 11-5 went to the Super Bowl, Denver 9-7, KC 8-8). The following year, however, injuries decimated the offensive line, so Brees had little or no protection. A.J. traded Junior for a low-round pick and released Rodney (who obviously turned out to be way over-the-hill in helping lead that Patriots defense in their title run), so the defense was nowhere near its previous year's performance. The main target on whom Brees was supposed to rely was body-building, steroid-injecting freak David Boston, who did catch 70 balls, but dropped plenty more and was hurt more often than not, leaving Brees without anyone to throw to. In addition, Marty showed poor judgment in giving Doug Flutie a few starts, causing Brees to lose confidence and question his role and his future with the team. The organization was disheartened by Drew's display, and opted not to renew his deal in the off-season.
Fortunately, the main positive that came out of this horrific 2003 season (4-12 and the No. 1 overall pick in the draft) included the emergence of a superstar in Antonio Gates. The undrafted free agent didn't do much until Week 10, but closed the season with a 5-catch, 117-yard performance against Green Bay and a 5-catch, 64-yard outing at Pittsburgh in Weeks 15 and 16, respectively. Brees was going to finally have a guy he could throw to in the red zone. In addition, Caldwell, Kassim Osgood and Eric Parker were looking like guys who could step up at the receiver positions, and the offensive line was going to have a stud or two. Toniu Fonoti, a rookie from Nebraska, and Mike Goff, the other guard, both played as well as could be expected under the circumstances, and looked to build toward 2004.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect much from this team coming into '04, but that was after the draft, which I felt would be able to help us out in addressing a few of these big needs. With the number one pick, we didn't need Eli Manning or any of the other quarterbacks, because I was confident that Brees would rebound and have a better season, especially if we gave him some help. Trading down and taking an offensive lineman and/or a receiver would have been the most desirable option (Robert Gallery, Larry Fitzgerald, Roy Williams came to mind; I also thought Mike Williams at the time, not knowing whether or not he'd be eligible), but please, just give the guy some help.
So instead, the Eli fiasco happens, everyone laughs at the Charger organization because it's so bad that the Manning family won't send someone there (who's laughing now, Eli?), and we end up with Philip Rivers. I loved the trade of Manning, but to get Rivers in return was idiotic. Of course, we did end up with Nate Kaeding (third-round pick last year) and two more picks this coming year (first and fifth-rounders), so it wasn't all bad, but it could have been much better. Think about Fitzgerald or Roy Williams on that squad. Dang. (Note: the rest of the draft was tremendous, bringing in two starters on the offensive line (Hardwick and Olivea), two big contributors on defense (Olshansky and Phillips) and a backup running back for the future (the Burner).
Anyways, that all brings us to the present, following a Pro Bowl season from Brees, leaving him and the team in a precarious situation this off-season. My recommendation follows:
Franchise Brees, meaning we'll pay him probably $8 or $9 million, and let him continue the momentum and the chemistry he developed with Gates and mid-season acquisition Keenan McCardell. Give him another receiver, a big target to help out the passing game a little more. Let that offensive line, which was so brilliant this year, continue to jell and play another year together. Let the positive energy from a 12-4 season carry over.
Yes, you're paying Rivers a ton of money, but there's nothing proven about his ability. How many of these highly-drafted quarterbacks turn into Pro Bowlers? Not enough to justify casting off a guy who's already reached that level, and is only two or three years older. 26 is not old for a quarterback. Drew Brees still has a good eight years (and maybe more) of productive play in the NFL ahead of him. I won't compare him to Joe Montana, but Joe played until he was 38, even making the Pro Bowl when he was 37. It's possible.
Hopefully after Brees is franchised, we can sign him to a long-term deal, and once he proves himself again next year, Rivers can still be dealt for a good return. We've got plenty of cap room and can eat the bonus money--winning is worth that, to be sure.
And no, I certainly wouldn't mind a Mike Williams-Shaun Cody draft, though Mel has us with Derrick Johnson (Texas) and Roscoe Parrish (Miami), which wouldn't suck either. Other desirables: Dan Cody (Oklahoma), Braylon Edwards (Michigan), Erasmus James (Wisconsin), though it's possible they'll all be gone when we pick (#12 and #28).
Lots of responsibility for A.J. & Co., who lucked into a great move when Rivers held out and Brees had the season he did. I'm withholding complete optimism until his status is determined and until draft day, but good things could certainly be continuing in Charger land.